Pipe coating apparatus



'Oct.12, 1937. A. G. PERKINS I PIPE COATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 26. 1934 a sheets-sheep 1 Oct, 125 1937; A. G. PERKINS 2,095,888

' PEP comma APPARATUS Filed Novr 26, 19:54 --5 sheets-sheet 2' Patented oet 12,1937

rlrs oosrnvo maiui'rus Albert G. Perkins, Warsaw, N. r. Application November 2c. 19:4, Serial No. 154,192

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in pipe-coating apparatus of the type designed for applying a protective coating or lining to the inner walls of steel pipe lines. One, of its objects is the provision of a reliable and ei'iicient apparatus of this character which is designed to travelthrough the pipe line and as' it does so automatically applies an even and durable coating of plastic material onto the pipe wall by centrifugal force and at the same time trowels the coating so applied. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a conveying means for the material which is so designed and constructed as to effectually and autoll matically release the head pressure on the ma-- terial when it reaches a predetermined point to thereby provide for a constant and uniform feed; of the material to the discharge end of the apparatus.

g Another object of the invention is the provision of simple and eifective means for troweling the ,material after it has been deposited on the pipe wall and to so mount the troweling means that it is self-alining-and self-adjustable to the sur- 3; face of the applied coating material.

A still further object is to provide means for readily gaging at a glance the approximate thickness of the coating material as it is applied to the pipe wall.

' so Other features of the invention reside in the construction and arrangement of parts herein-' after described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings:-

as Figure 1 is a side'elevation of my improved coating apparatus, the same being shown within a pipe line for treating the interior wall'thereof with a protective coating. Figure 2 is a rear end view of the apparatus arranged within the pipe. Figure 3 is a front end view of the same likewise arranged within the pipe. Figure 4 is an end view, partly in section, of the means for supporting the trowel. Figure 5 is a top plan view of the feed hopper and the conveyor screw. Figure '6 is a longitudinal section taken in the plane ofline 8-, Figure 5. Figure .'I is a cross section taken in the plane of line 1-1, Figure '5. I

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

While my apparatus may be employed for coating-diiiferent kinds of work it has been primarily designed for treating the inner walls of steel pipe lines with a protective coating, such for example as a plastic-like material as concrete. To this-end the apparatus consists generaily'o! a carriage which is adapted to be propelled through the pipe line and which carries the working parts of the coating apparatus, such working parts comprising essentially a hopper for-the coating material having a conduit or cylindrical feed chamber connected therewith, means for conveying the material from the hopper and throughtheiconduit; a dispensing ordischarge head into which the material is delivered from the conduit and from which it is discharged by centrifugal force onto the pipe wall; means for troweling the material after it has been applied to the pipe'wall; and indicating means for gaging the thickness of the coating'as it is applied to the pipe wall.

Referring now to the drawings, Ill indicates a section of the steel pipe line through which my apparatus is designed to travel for coating the inner wall thereof with a plastic coating of concrete or like semi-solid material. The carriage of the apparatus, which carriesits working parts,

may be of any appropriate construction, that shown in the drawings, by way of example, consisting of a structural steel frame ll provided at one end with, traction or supporting wheels I! and at its opposite end witha steering or caster wheel i3. Motion is transmitted to the traction wheels from an electric motor I 4 through the medium of a chain drive II to a countershaft l6 and thence by gearing I! to the axle of the traction wheels, 9, suitable speed-reducing transmission It being interposed between the motor and the chain drive for the purpose on propelling the carriage through the pipe at different speeds and thereby'govern the thickness of the coating ma,- terial applied to the pipe wall.

Mounted on the carriage frame Ii is a feed hopper or container I! for the coating material, i

and communicating with this hopper is a conduit or chamber 20 which is disposed lengthwise and centrally of the machine and approximately axially of the pipe. Extending through this hopper and its communicating conduit is a tubular shaft'll having a screw-conveyor 2! applied thereto which forces the material through the hopper and its communicating conduit 2|. This screw conveyor shaft may be driven from the electric motor ll by suitable speed reducing rotated from the motor it through the medium of a belt and pulley 2!, as shown in Figure 1.

In order deliver the material tothe disportion of the feed screw 22 disposed'witbin the hopper I9 is so designed and constructed-as to automatically releasethe head pressure on the material when it reaches a'predetermined point.

To this end, the hopper-engag p rtion of the conveyor screw is composed of approximately spiral shaped flexible portions or blades 26 which are secured at one end to arms 21 radiating from the shaft 2l,'while their opposite ends are free to permit the blades to flex in a direction axially oi the shaft and thereby release the pressure. im-

parted to the material by the screw. These iieir-- ible blades together form a disconnected screwsection and while they normally effect the proper feed of the material from the hopper to the conduit II, they effectually prevent any over-head pressure being imparted to the material, with the result that the material is delivered at a constant rate to the dimming head ll. The bottom wall 28 of the hopper ll preferably extends upwardly tomeet the bottom or the conduit II, as shown in Figure 6, and extending from the top side of the inlet end of said conduit in opposing relation to the inclined bottomwall of the hopper is an oppositely inclined wall 2!. By this construction, the material in the hopper is properly directed to the conduit.

The troweling mechanism for smoothing down the coating material after it has been applied to the pipe wall preferably consists of a plurality of retractible trowels 3. which are soinounted as to revolve atv a comparatively slow speed over the coated wall "to be automatically selfaiining to the surface; Each of these trowels is connected to a vertically-swinging lever or rod ll pivotedtoarevolving radial arm I! and free to turn about its longitudinal axis in a swivel fitting ll pivoted to said arm, the swivel fitting or block forming a fulcrum about which the.

trowel-lever swings. For the purpose of adjusting the trowel-carrying levers to accommodate pipes of varying diameters, thearms 32 may be provided with a series of openings 34 ior receiving the corresponding pivot blocks 83 of said levers. Each trowel-carrying lever 3| is constantly urged in a direction to bring its trowel ill into yielding engagement with the pipe wall by a spring ll whoa free end is coupled with the opposing end of the trowel-carrying lever by a swivel fitting 10.

Any suitable meansmay be employed for shifting the trowels into and out of enga ement with the pipe wall. For example, the trowel-carrying lever-may be connected by a link 31' with the arm 38 of a rock member 39 which is actuated in one direction or the other by a conical drum III to ac-' cordingly shift the trowel-carrying lever-toward and from the pipe wall. The-link 31 is likewise connectedby a swivel fitting ll 'tovthe trowelcarrying. lever SL. The specific means for actuating the conical drum forms no part of the present invention and a detailed description thereof is therefore not deemed necessary.

I By mounting the trowel-levers 3| in man- I ner, they are free to adjust themselves to the surface of the pipe coating and are adapted to swivel in their'supporting fittings. 33 without interferin with the spring and link connections 35 and 11, respectively.

For the purpose of gaging the thickness of the material as it is being applied to the pipe wall, I provide table indicator which is preferably in the *fo -of an adjustable bar 42 pivoted at 43 to the revolving trowel-carrying arm I! or like part and so disposed as to'have its free end 9,095,888 pensing head at a constant and uniform rate, that in cooperative relation with a part borne by said am, such for example as one of the trowel-carrying levers II, as shown in Figure 4. The pivot I3 is of a character to frictionally hold the indicator bar in an adjusted set pomtion. In using this thickness gage, the operator sets the indicator bar 42 in abuting engagement with the ad- Joining portion of the trowel-carrying lever II, I

this adjustment being-made before the material is applied to the pipe wall. As the material is a p ed to the pipe wall and the trowels 3i smooth down the material, the latter are gradually shifted away from the pipe wall in accordance with the thickness of the coating material applied thereto, whereby a resulting space or gap will result between the indicator bar and the adjoining trowelcarrying lever, such space indicating or corresponding to the thickness of the materlal'applied to the pipe wall.

Disposed rearwardly of the trowels to revolve ering a curing fluid onto the coated pipe-wall.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus of the character described. a rotatable member, a swlvelly-mounted lever pivoted to said member to swing substantially in the plane thereof, a trowel applied to said lever, and means connected to said lever to swing the same and its trowel radially inward and outward, said means including swivel connections to said lever.

2. The combination with a pipe-coating machine having'means for applying a 'liningflto the pipe-wall, of a means engageable with the lining after it is applied, and an indicator disposed in cooperativerelation to said lining-engagin means for gaging the thickness of the lining applied to the pipe-wall.

V. 3. The combination, with a pipe-coating machine having means for applying a lining to the pipe wall, of a means engageable with the lining after it is applied, and an adjustable indicator member disposed in cooperative relation to said lining-engaging means for gaging the thickness of the lining applied to the pipe-wall, said indie cator; member being initially set in accordance with the position of the lining-engaging means before-the application of the lining to the pipewall,*whereby, after the lining is applied, the distance between said means and the indicator mem' ber represents thejthickness of the lining applied 1 4.'In a pipe-coating apparatus of the character described, a rotatable member, a trowelbearing lever pivoted to said member to swing in a direction to bring the trowel toward and from the pipe-wall, and an indicator mounted on said member in cooperative relation to said lever for gagingthe thickness of the coating applied to the pipe-wall.

5. In a pipe-coating apparatus of the character described. a rotatable member, a trowelbearing lever pivoted to said member to swing in a direction to bring the trowel toward-and from the pipe-wall, and an adjustable indicator fulcrumed at one end to said rotatable member and bearing lever to gage the thickness of the coating applied to the. pipe-wall.

6, An apparatus of the character described,

comprising a hopper terminating: at its discharge 4 end in a feed conduit, and a feed screw arranged in said hopper and extending through its feed conduit, that portion of the feed screw located in the hopper including disconnected, spiral blade-sections flexible axially of the screw to recooperating at its opposite end with said trowel- 20 about the same axis is a spray gun for delivlease the pressure on the material and the remaining portion of the screw being continuous to provide for a constant and uniform feed of the material through the feed conduit. I

'1. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a hopper having a straight portion and a conical portion terminating at its dis- I charge end in a conduit, and a feed screw armunication with a source of coating material,

means disposed at the discharge end of said conduit for delivering the material, onto the pipe-wail, a revolving trowel disposed rearwardly of said material-delivering means for smoothing down the material 'after it has been deposited on the pipe-wall, means for universally mounting said trowel to render it self-adjustable and self-aiming to the pipe wall, and means disposed rearwardly beyond and revolvable with said Patent No. 2,095,888. U

ALBERT c. PERKINS.

GERTIFI GATE OF CORRECTION trowel for delivering a curing fluid onto the coated pipe-wall, said material-delivering means, said trowel, and said fluid-delivering means being all revolvable about a common axis coincident with the feed conduit.

9. A troweling. device for use in the coating treatment ofpipe-walls and the like, a revolving support, a trowel" applied thereto and having a smooth working face, and-means for universally mounting said trowel on said support to render it sell-adjustable and selI-alining to the feed conduit.

10. A troweling device ior use in the coatin treatment of pipe-walls and the like, comprising a revolving arm having a retractable trowel applied thereto for smoothing down the material after it has been applied to the pipe-wall, a trowel-carrying lever pivoted to said arm to bring the trowel toward and from the pipe-wall, 'an actuating member for shifting said trowelcarrying lever to a retracted position, a spring 9 for urging said lever in the opposite direction,

October 12, 1937. a

It iahereby certified that 'error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered pat ent requiring correction as follows: I Page 5 second column, line-12, claim 9, for the words'"feed conduit" flread pipe wall; and,

that the said 'Letters- Patent should be read vviththisfcorrection therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

S ignedand sealed this 16th day of November, A. D..l957.

(Seal) Henry Arsdale, Acting Commissioner of Patents.

lease the pressure on the material and the remaining portion of the screw being continuous to provide for a constant and uniform feed of the material through the feed conduit. I

'1. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a hopper having a straight portion and a conical portion terminating at its dis- I charge end in a conduit, and a feed screw armunication with a source of coating material,

means disposed at the discharge end of said conduit for delivering the material, onto the pipe-wail, a revolving trowel disposed rearwardly of said material-delivering means for smoothing down the material 'after it has been deposited on the pipe-wall, means for universally mounting said trowel to render it self-adjustable and self-aiming to the pipe wall, and means disposed rearwardly beyond and revolvable with said Patent No. 2,095,888. U

ALBERT c. PERKINS.

GERTIFI GATE OF CORRECTION trowel for delivering a curing fluid onto the coated pipe-wall, said material-delivering means, said trowel, and said fluid-delivering means being all revolvable about a common axis coincident with the feed conduit.

9. A troweling. device for use in the coating treatment ofpipe-walls and the like, a revolving support, a trowel" applied thereto and having a smooth working face, and-means for universally mounting said trowel on said support to render it sell-adjustable and selI-alining to the feed conduit.

10. A troweling device ior use in the coatin treatment of pipe-walls and the like, comprising a revolving arm having a retractable trowel applied thereto for smoothing down the material after it has been applied to the pipe-wall, a trowel-carrying lever pivoted to said arm to bring the trowel toward and from the pipe-wall, 'an actuating member for shifting said trowelcarrying lever to a retracted position, a spring 9 for urging said lever in the opposite direction,

October 12, 1937. a

It iahereby certified that 'error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered pat ent requiring correction as follows: I Page 5 second column, line-12, claim 9, for the words'"feed conduit" flread pipe wall; and,

that the said 'Letters- Patent should be read vviththisfcorrection therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

S ignedand sealed this 16th day of November, A. D..l957.

(Seal) Henry Arsdale, Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

